The United States and Japan will step up their defence cooperation to deal with the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea as tensions in East Asia remain high, officials from the two allies said on Thursday.

Petch hits out at ICAC as court date looms

A former Sydney mayor charged with blackmail and misconduct has lashed out at the ICAC, declaring he looks forward to answering corruption allegations in a "real court".

One-time NSW MP and former Ryde mayor Ivan Petch was investigated by the NSW anti-corruption watchdog in 2013 for allegedly disclosing confidential information as part of a smear campaign aimed at the council's general manager.

Petch has been ordered to front court later this year charged with misconduct in public office, which, if proven, carries possible jail time.

He is also facing a charge of blackmail accessory before the fact and six counts of giving false and misleading evidence at ICAC hearings in 2013.

"ICAC's feeble and desperate efforts to destroy one of the state's top public prosecutors, Margaret Cunneen, clearly demonstrated its willingness to be used as a vehicle for payback," Petch said in a statement on Wednesday.

"In relation to the accusations levelled at me, I'll happily be answering those in court - a real court."

Property developer John Goubran, publicist Anthony Stavrinos, local publisher John Booth and Richard Henricus, who worked for Booth's newspaper The Weekly Times, have also been charged in relation to the ICAC's Operation Cavill probe.

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Goubran will be prosecuted for blackmail over his alleged part in conveying a threat to Mr Neish that his job at council would be on the line if he failed to form a committee on a local redevelopment proposal.

Henricus is charged with corruptly offering a benefit to a Ryde councillor, after he allegedly offered him positive coverage in The Weekly Times if he withdrew his opposition to a development application put forward by Booth.

Stavrinos and Booth have been charged with giving false and misleading evidence at ICAC hearings in 2013.

All five men are due before the Downing Centre Local Court on September 3.